Popular Mechanics' 2011 Breakthrough Awards salutes 10 products that represent the highest standard in innovation and execution. They solve real problems, like air pollution and burgeoning mobile data demand, in genuinely new ways. They push technical limits, whether to make video games cinematic or make astronomy truly easy. And they give consumers more control over their technology—whether at home or on the go.

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Motorola Atrix 4G

Motorola Atrix 4G

The Atrix 4G is a topnotch smartphone, with a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 4G wireless speeds and a super-sharp 540 x 960—pixel screen. But what makes it revolutionary is a hidden talent: It's also a computer. When connected to the Motorola Lapdock, the Atrix switches modes—and becomes the heart, soul and brain of an 11.5-inch laptop. With the Atrix, Motorola has taken the first step toward a future in which one device serves as the nerve center of many. ($100)

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Microsoft Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit

Microsoft Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit

As a gaming device, Kinect was a hit. PM gave its user interface, Project Natal, a Breakthrough Award in 2009. But it wasn't until hackers got their hands on the motion-control technology for Xbox 360—with its infrared camera, laser depth sensors and microphone array—that Kinect's true potential emerged. UC Davis students used the depth sensors for 3D video conferencing; at the University of Minnesota, Kinect became a tool for identifying ADD, OCD and autism in kids; Microsoft even demonstrated a lounge chair propelled and steered with hand gestures (right). In the software development kit, Microsoft not only sanctions hacking, it provides programmers, researchers and artists with the tools to do it. That's the kind of breakthrough-enabling attitude we love. (Free)

Motorola Atrix 4G

The Atrix 4G is a topnotch smartphone, with a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 4G wireless speeds and a super-sharp 540 x 960—pixel screen. But what makes it revolutionary is a hidden talent: It's also a computer. When connected to the Motorola Lapdock, the Atrix switches modes—and becomes the heart, soul and brain of an 11.5-inch laptop. With the Atrix, Motorola has taken the first step toward a future in which one device serves as the nerve center of many. ($100)

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Microsoft Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit

As a gaming device, Kinect was a hit. PM gave its user interface, Project Natal, a Breakthrough Award in 2009. But it wasn't until hackers got their hands on the motion-control technology for Xbox 360—with its infrared camera, laser depth sensors and microphone array—that Kinect's true potential emerged. UC Davis students used the depth sensors for 3D video conferencing; at the University of Minnesota, Kinect became a tool for identifying ADD, OCD and autism in kids; Microsoft even demonstrated a lounge chair propelled and steered with hand gestures (right). In the software development kit, Microsoft not only sanctions hacking, it provides programmers, researchers and artists with the tools to do it. That's the kind of breakthrough-enabling attitude we love. (Free)

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Square Reader, Square & Card Case Apps

Turning an idea into a business is hard enough without having to deal with the byzantine rules of merchant banking. Square, co-founded by Twitter's Jack Dorsey, makes accepting credit card payments as easy as setting up an email account. With Square's card reader and associated apps, any iPad, iPhone or Android handset can process transactions on the spot. Signatures register on a touchscreen, and receipts go out via email. Square's eponymous new app turns mobile devices into full-fledged point-of-sale terminals with a visual inventory; Card Case further simplifies the process, storing payment info in a secure app to allow wireless, instant purchases at Square-ready stores. (Free, plus 2.75 percent of each transaction)

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Rockstar Games'L.A. Noire

It's the video game that could provide a definitive response to the question, can games be art? Cinema-grade MotionScan technology allows actors, such as Mad Men's Aaron Staton (seated), to actually play their characters (inset), giving Rockstar Games' L.A. Noire an exhilarating level of realism. A detective's brow furrows in frustration. A witness's lips purse. When suspects lie, it's revealed in the lines of their faces. The effect is at once uncanny and cinematic—and certainly unprecedented. Gamers will never look back. ($50)

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Parrot Asteroid Receiver

According to consumer marketing firm R.L. Polk, the average age of cars and trucks on the road today is about 11 years. In tech terms, that's an eternity. The Asteroid, Parrot's drop-in receiver, is a simple way to turn any older model into a connected vehicle. Powered by Google Android software, the Asteroid includes voice recognition, hands-free calling and connections for popular smartphones and media players. It also supports 3G mobile Internet, enabling apps for navigation, Internet radio and, well, anything else developers come up with. ($350)

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Ford Rear Inflatable Seat Belts

Seatbelts haven't changed dramatically since the introduction of the three-point model in 1959, that is, until Ford combined rear belts with another important safety feature: the airbag. Available as an option in the 2011 Explorer, the belts activate with compressed gas via a specially designed buckle. As it breaks through the fabric, the airbag provides support for more than five times the body area of a normal belt. This reduces pressure on the chest and further secures the neck and head during an accident, especially important for children and older passengers. ($595 as part of a safety package)

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BoralPure Smog-Eating Tile

Using some creative chemistry, Boral Roofing has turned a standard building material into a formidable weapon—not just against sun and rain, but also air pollution. The tile's coating contains TiO2 (titanium dioxide), which reacts with and neutralizes NOX (nitrogen oxide) particles in smog. The byproduct is a harmless precipitate that accumulates on the roof and washes away in the rain. That's pollution removal at its best. No machinery. No moving parts. No energy input other than sunlight. Just a clever, air-cleansing chemical reaction. (Price: approximately $650 more than a standard 2500-sq.-ft. tile roof)

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Solaria Photovoltaic Panels

Solar power has a problem. In order for people to make the switch, solar technology needs to be cheap. The silicon required for standard photovoltaic (PV) panels, however, is extremely expensive. Solaria struck upon an elegant solution with its monocrystalline panels: Use 50 to 70 percent less silicon. Rather than covering the entire module with PV panels, Solaria leverages a patterned-glass lens to refocus light onto a strip of solar cells. The module is durable; the proven operating life is longer than 25 years. And because the product uses the supply chain already established in traditional solar panel manufacturing, overall costs remain low. (Price: one-third less than a solar panel of comparable efficiency)

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Philips AmbientLED Bulb

The AmbientLED is the first credible LED replacement for the most common light bulb in America, the 60-watt incandescent—and it hits shelves just in time for new federal efficiency standards. At 800 lumens, the bulb is just as bright as its tungsten counterpart but consumes only 12.5 watts of power. And after hours of operation, it's merely warm to the touch. Philips's secret lies in remote phosphor technology, which generates a pleasing hue and diffuses light to create that familiar soft glow. One thing that may take some getting used to is the bulb's longevity: The AmbientLED is rated to burn for 25,000 hours, 25 times longer than a typical incandescent. ($25)

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SkyProdigy Automatic Telescopes

Contrary to what the name suggests, most "automatic" telescopes require calibration, and so take time and expertise to master. "Many people don't have that kind of dedication," says Eric Kopit, Celestron's director of development. The company's SkyProdigy series—which includes refractor, reflector (130-mm, left) and Maksutov-Cassegrain-style models—makes looking into the cosmos truly effortless. With built-in tracking cameras and a digital database of more than 4000 heavenly objects, the SkyProdigy telescopes sight themselves in less than 3 minutes, so even a first-time stargazer can experience the thrill of discovery. ($699—$799)